It's All in the Cards
by trolltasm
Summary: Kagome makes her living reading cards and selling herbal remedies in a tiny shop in Tokyo. On a whim, Kagura drags her boyfriend, Sesshomaru, to the shop, hoping for a romantic and fun reading. Instead, Kagome reads a quick demise of their relationship, noting that Sesshomaru's red string of fate leads elsewhere. To her horror... she realizes it leads straight back to her.
1. Chapter 1

_A/N: This is my first AU and it may well be my last. I couldn't shake the plot bunny, but it feels like I'm cheating on canon by writing this, haha!_

_I've twisted the tarot to suit my own purposes for this fic, so please keep that in mind._

_As a last note, I may or may not write an epilogue for this. I haven't entirely decided._

* * *

It was a tiny little shop, but it was all hers, and that was all Kagome had ever wanted.

Ever since she'd been a teenager, she'd dreamt of having her own herbal shop and at the age of twenty-five, that dream was finally a reality. She made her own concoctions that lined the walls and shelves of her shop, and carried everything from cleansing products (which were by far her most popular) to general remedies for sore coughs and runny noses. She would also take custom requests, which were usually done when someone wanted a certain scent for a product that she didn't normally carry.

But she struggled to make ends meet. Rent was sky-high in Tokyo, even though Kagome's shop, Heaven's Cloud—her friend Sango had been the one to suggest the name and Kagome herself hadn't been able to think of a better one—wasn't located on any of the fashion or high-end streets.

Finally, in an act of desperation, she'd decided to run a side gig out of her shop. She used to do astrology and tarot card readings for fun in high school and college, but now she utilized the skill to bring in additional income. She always had a gift for accuracy, even though Kagome herself refused to believe in fate. She would make her _own_ destiny, thank you very much.

She hated doing anything occult in her humble little shop, especially since she felt like it diminished the real value and quality of her work, but she couldn't afford to be proud _and_ keep her shop, too.

And the occult paid very, very well.

Most of her clientele for those lines of service were either young couples in love, seeking validation, or those who _wanted_love and were seeking confirmation of their desires. There were a few who came in for other readings, like success in school or work, but most of those went to traditional fortunetelling shops, not hers. Her shop was a novelty service, not based heavily in tradition.

She may have grown up on a shrine, but that was a line Kagome herself would not cross.

.

Several months after her shop opened, Kagome's occult services and her stellar reputation for accuracy had begun to become well-known by a circle of office ladies, all eager to ensure the men they snagged—or planned to snag—would be the catch they wanted. Most wanted to quit their jobs after marriage, but even those who didn't wanted the reassurance the man they chose would be well-off as could be expected and would not be prone to cheat.

Often, the women came by themselves, but occasionally they were able to ether trick or entreat their partners to join them. Most of those men were less than thrilled to be called to the shop, but

The couple before her appeared to be no exception. The man, with long black hair, appeared to be a normal office worker, though with the delicate suit he wore, Kagome guessed him to be middle or upper management. Surprising, given that he looked no older than his early thirties at most.

The woman, on the other hand, seemed to personify an office lady. She looked glamorous and serious, with hair pulled up in a neat bun, and her black pencil skirt and crisp button-up blouse only seemed to accentuate that this woman meant business, right down to her pointed red heels.

And the way the woman kept a tight hold on her partner told Kagome all she needed to know: this woman would _not_willingly let this man go. Ever.

There was a faint prickling at her senses and her eyes widened. _Yokai..._

For a moment, their veneers fluttered and she saw a glimpse of what they might truly look like. He had long, silver hair and golden eyes that would have been angelic on anyone else, but served to accentuate his masculine beauty instead. She couldn't get those eyes out of her head...

"We'd like a reading," the woman said, tightening her grasp on her partner's arm. "I have been led to believe that this..._tiny..._shop is known to have accurate readings." Her tone, however, implied that she believed otherwise.

Kagome pushed back her reiki as she felt the man's—no, she corrected herself; the _daiyokai_, for there was no mistaking the undeniable intensity of his own strength—yoki rose heavily in response. She licked her dry lips as she noticed that the daiyokai before her carried himself with an air of indifference that bordered on boredom.

His partner, on the other hand, was far less impressive. She was a yokai of some strength, but her yoki paled in comparison to his.

_What on earth brought them together in the first place? They seem so cold together..._

"Right," Kagome said, forcing herself to sound cheerful. "I'm Higurashi Kagome. I own the shop and I also do the readings."

She waited expectantly for their names. She'd need several other pieces of information to get their readings accurate, but how much information depended on what type of reading. Tarot required the least bit of information compared to her other services, but she doubted they were here for a Western full natal chart and astrological reading on the other end of the spectrum. The daiyokai seemed the type to reluctantly indulge his partner, but only up to a certain point.

The woman was the one who answered Kagome's unspoken question. "I am Fujioka Kagura and this is Ito Sesshomaru." She waved her free hand to the man beside her.

"Welcome to Heaven's Cloud, Fujioka and Ito." Kagome gave them a small bow. "It isn't often that yokai enter a miko's shop."

Fujioka looked astonished at her words, but it wasn't the wind yokai's expression that surprised her. The daiyokai Ito beside her, though his expression did not change, seemed determined to test the truth of her words and let his yoki rise to find her reiki. Once located, she felt his power press against her as though he was trying to test her strength.

It felt...right, the way his power pressed against hers, like a warm, heated blanket resting over her on a cold day.

"This way," Kagome said, more so to get away from the surprising allure of his power than anything else. _He's taken, Kagome_, she reminded herself, _and even if he wasn't, you don't want to go down that path. He's curious, not interested._

His yoki rescinded as she led the way to the tiny room at the back of the shop that she used for her readings. It was a former storage closet that she'd remodeled when she'd realized that most of her clientele preferred secrecy. Since she was alone in the shop—she couldn't afford any help, though Sango often dropped by to help on the weekends with her husband, Miroku, whenever they could—she also flipped the sign at the door to reflect that she would return in fifteen minutes.

She gestured to two chairs on the opposite side of the table, noting that while Fujioka took delight in the ostentatiousness and gaudiness of the reading room, designed to look like a stereotypical Hollywood fortuneteller's, but Ito ignored the decor entirely and kept his gaze firmly trained on her.

"Have either of you had a tarot reading done before?" she asked as she took the place at her own chair opposite the couple.

"No," Fujioka said simply and one again the daiyokai seemed content to let his partner do the talking.

"Well, there are several ways to do a reading." Kagome began cutting and shuffling the deck on the table before her. "You're here for a couple's reading, right?"

Fujioka nodded. "Yes," she said, and though she tried to look bored, she couldn't shake the excitement showing on her face. Her partner, however, had a flat expression as he watched Kagome shuffle the cards.

Kagome fanned out the deck before them but held out her hand to grab Fujioka's when the wind yokai moved to grab a card. "Tarot is not just a means of reading the future or your compatibility," she said, feeling the need to caution them given Fujioka's eagerness. "It's a way to see into the unconscious self, but we may not always like what we see. As a general reminder, my readings are always accurate. I won't tell you want you want to hear; I'll only tell you what I see. Do you understand?"

"Yes," Fujioka breathed as Ito gave Kagome a short nod.

"Okay." Kagome then asked for payment upfront; she'd learned that lesson already after a client had stormed out, enraged by the reading. As soon as she received payment—from Fujioka, no less, as though she had a point to prove to her partner—Kagome began. "You will each choose three cards and put them facedown in front of you. Don't move or touch them once they're in front of you."

Fujioka grabbed three cards and immediately placed them in front of her.

Ito took more time, carefully contemplating the facedown cards before selecting each card in turn to place it in front of him.

"Now I'm going to quickly outline what to expect. The first card represents who you are as a person. The second card represents what you want from a relationship. The last card represents your future." She waited until she received a nod from each of them. "Draw one more card together for your future together."

Fujioka wrapped her arm around Ito's and together, she guided him to draw a fourth card.

"Place it in front of you, in between your two sets of cards, but keep it facedown like the others," Kagome cautioned and they did as she bade.

"Now, I'll start the reading." She moved to start with Ito's first, in deference to his power, but the slight shake of his head had her sighing as she moved to start with Fujioka. The first card she flipped was the reversed Hierophant—not entirely unsurprising, given that Fujioka was a wind yokai.

"This is the reversed Hierophant," Kagome said, tapping the card with one finger nail. "It represents a deep, undeniable need for freedom. You need to be free, but you also have a vulnerable, emotionally frail side of you that can be difficult for others to understand."

Fujioka's lips thinned but she nodded in quiet acknowledgement.

"The next card represents what you want from a relationship," Kagome reminded them, reaching for the second card. When she turned it over, she found herself looking at the Empress. "This is the Empress card. "When you are in a relationship, you get in tune with your feminine side. You seek the feminine roles: wife, sister, daughter-in-law, mother, with your partner and his family. You find satisfaction in building a home with the one you love and you will be a good role model for your future children."

Fujioka was practically beaming ear to ear at the reading and Kagome smiled back. It was always a good sign when her reading was so well-received. The Empress was one of Kagome's favorite cards, too—not because it represented the restrictions of women but rather the embracing of being a good partner to one's lover and a good parent to one's children.

"The last card is for your future. Of course, the distant future is always subject to change, so it's really more about your short-term future than your long-term one." Kagome reached for Fujioka's last card and turned it over to find the Moon.

Fujioka beamed at the card, giving her partner a flirtatious grin.

Kagome decided to ignore the look, certain that it referred to some private moment between the couple. "The Moon represents your subconscious and first impressions. Your hasty judgments and interpretations will lead you astray because they've been built on misconceptions. You should prepare for an emotional ordeal in your near future, something that will result from your rash action and need to jump to conclusions before you have all the facts. You have deceived yourself in something that will impact you strongly when it falls apart."

She held up her hand as Fujioka opened her mouth, ready to rage. "This card only represents your immediate or short-term future, Fujioka, not your long-term one. Though this reading is about your relationship, this card in particular could have been chosen because of family, work, or something else that may _impact_ your relationship but not directly relate to it."

That seemed to mollify Fujioka enough that she slumped back in her chair with a click of her tongue.

"Besides," Kagome said, striving for a reassuring tone, "we haven't seen Ito's cards and that's usually a stronger indication of compatibility."

"Well, let's get on with it, then," Fujioka said impatiently.

Kagome turned to Ito's cards. "The first card represents who you are," she reminded him, reaching for his first card and turning it over to find the Justice card. "This card is Justice," she said, not surprised at the card itself. "It's upright, so it symbolizes justice, righteousness, honor, and virtue. You hold yourself strong and are in balance with all parts of yourself. You have your own system of virtue and morals that guides you in your daily life and you will not stray from it. You hold honor and respect above all other qualities."

It wasn't a direct opposition to Fujioka's initial card but it still made Kagome uneasy. The cards themselves weren't entirely harmonious and, for the first time, she began to wonder if the couple themselves were as good a fit as they initially appeared.

"Hnn." It was the first word Ito had spoken but she heard his quiet satisfaction in her reading. His voice sent quiet shivers down her spine at the low, melodic timber, and it was a feeling she didn't enjoy experiencing because of the sensations it caused within her.

She quickly moved to the next card, wanting the reading over with. She gasped as she flipped over the Devil, glancing up to see Ito looking at her with amused eyes.

_Well, it makes sense_, she groused to herself, _since yokai have often been portrayed as devils, especially by Western media._

"This is the Devil," she said, tapping the card, "and for you, Ito, it means that in a relationship, you desire to be loved but are not sure how to go about it. You seek an equal partner in a relationship rather than a co-dependent partner and have strict, exacting standards for what you want in a mate. You are ambitious and determined, but if you do not find a harmonious relationship that understands your unique ways of showing affection, you will be unhappy and feel trapped in your relationship and this may cause your partner to feel self-conscious or unappreciated."

There was an odd look in Fujioka's eyes at that but it was Ito's reaction that surprised her. Most people upon receiving the Devil card—in _any_ capcity—were immediately uneasy, but Ito seemed completely at ease with both the cards and the reading. While Kagome had a knack for being accurate, most people who came to her for readings didn't immediately buy in.

So why had Ito?

She reached for Ito's last personal card with a shuddering breath, feeling a little unnerved by the intensity of Ito's gaze. While his human appearance had brown eyes, she kept seeing golden ones...

The card she flipped over was Death, which put together a picture of their relationship that Kagome knew instinctively would not go over well with Fujioka. Ito, on the other hand, was too hard to read to tell.

"This is Death," she said needlessly, for the card accurately displayed what it was. "In your short-term future, Ito, you will need to let go of something that is no longer serving you. This could be a relationship or perhaps a business deal or personal project. You have already realized it is not working for you but have been slow to change or let go of it for some reason and you will not find happiness until you let go of it."

Understanding was in Ito's expression as he gave her a short nod but Fujioka, on the other hand, let out a sharp breath that Kagome guessed the yokai had been holding in for some time.

_I don't want to do this, but..._

Kagome's hand moved shakily to the last card, not liking where the reading was moving. Never before had she seen a reading so inharmonious in a couple that was already established, let alone a reading that seemed to be all but shouting for the couple to end a relationship that was neither healthy nor beneficial for either party. It was clear from the cards and what her own senses were telling her that they were incapable of meeting each other's needs.

She reached for the card, starting as Ito's hand moved at the same time, and their fingers touched. For a moment, she didn't see the card at all, but instead, a disquieting vision of Ito...and _her_. Her hands trembling, she flipped over the tower, in the upside down position, and her breath caught.

"Well?" Fujioka demanded and Kagome could see that Fujioka was desperately seeking for some last validation that the rest of the reading had been wrong and that she and Ito would be compatible in the longterm after all. "What does it mean?"

Kagome raised her eyes to the couple. "This is the tower, in the upside down position. When you receive the tower, it indicates that you are trapped, unable to move forward. In this case, you are trapped in a bad situation, unable to move forward as you are. You need to make a major change, but something is holding you back. You won't be happy until you let it—your relationship—go. The tower in this case signals the end of your relationship."

Fujioka leapt to her feet in a fit of rage. "Never!" she hissed, jerking her purse to rest more firmly on her shoulder. "Come on, Sesshomaru; this human kid is clearly a quack. We've been together for a year! This was supposed to be my gift to you so I could _propose_!" she wailed, grabbing at her partner and pulling him to his feet.

Kagome was mildly surprised that he let Fujioka, but she wasn't surprised when Fujioka stormed out of the shop, her partner following closely behind her.

As he left, Ito looked over his shoulder to make eye contact with her and she wondered if he'd somehow learned the last thing that she hadn't shared with either Ito or Fujioka. Had she somehow managed to share her vision with him?

When Kagome's hand touched his moments before, she'd seen a vision of her own future, so clear that it had felt entirely too real. Ito was cuddling her close on a bench in the garden, teasing her lips with lily petals as he held the stem of the flower before her, and in the distance, she could hear the sounds of children playing.

_Their_ children.

The guilt she felt nearly drowned her. It didn't matter that she'd foretold the ending of Ito's and Fujioka's relationship well before the vision—they had, after all, been the ones to draw the cards themselves, not her—nor did it matter that neither of them had been suited for the other.

Kagome still felt like she'd ruined the relationship and she fervently hoped, vision or no vision, that she never saw either of them again.

But she knew better. Fate, once told, would never be denied.

At some point, likely in her near future, Ito and Fujioka would separate and then he would be back—for her.


	2. Chapter 2

_A/N: THERE. I wrote a follow up._

_Man, I am WEAK to persuasion. I hope you all liked this._

* * *

Ito Sesshomaru returned to the shop two months later—alone.

He'd requested a reading as soon as he'd entered Kagome's shop and she couldn't find a logical reason to refuse him.

"This one does not require a full reading." His gaze was intense as they stepped into her reading room. As she closed the door behind him, his glamor fell. "He wishes to read his compatibility instead."

She barely took note of how at-odds he looked with his long, silver hair and golden eyes contrasting with his sharp black silk suit. Without the glamor, she could see every marking on his person—the ones that his clothing did _not_ hide—from the crescent moon on his forehead to the stripes on his wrists.

All she could think of was that he'd _returned_.

Kagome licked her dry lips as she felt his yoki press heavily upon her, drowning her in that warm blanket feeling. "With Fujioka?" she asked, surprised at how raspy her voice sounded them.

"No." His golden gaze met hers, blazing with feeling. "With the one who has caught this one's interest as no other ever has before."

"But..." she trailed off, unable to bring herself to ask about the wind yokai who had wanted to marry him just two months before.

He seemed to understand anyway. "Kagura is no longer romantically associated with this one." As she licked her dry lips, he admitted, "She has revealed that she finds this one too difficult to understand. She has found another yokai, a horse, who has a better understanding of her needs."

Kagome considered his words. Horse yokai were, in general, more gentle and understanding of their mates, with a yearning for freedom that Kagura would be better suited to understand. Without seeing the couple, she could already see how they were more suitable than Kagura and Sesshomaru had been.

"She wished to thank you for your wisdom," he added after a moment, "but her pride would not let her return herself after the way she left. It may take her some time to seek you out of her own accord."

That didn't surprise Kagome; she'd had the feeling that Fujioka, while not malicious or cruel, had enough pride to get in her way. Ito did as well, which is partially why they were so ill-suited. Both were incapable of yielding when the other required. Both needed partners who understood what they could not bring themselves to say aloud.

And Fujioka would have been no more open about her feelings than Ito, though it seemed that Ito had understood her better than Fujioka had understood him.

But Kagome couldn't shake the guilt. If she hadn't done the reading, it was possible the two would still be together. And while she didn't believe they were compatible, that was her own impression based on a short encounter. Fujioka and Ito had been dating for a year and it was possible—albeit unlikely, for she hadn't been inaccurate yet—that they might have worked through their problems if her reading hadn't interfered.

She took a deep breath, sensing that he was waiting for her to come to her own conclusion about the reading he sought. "So the woman you want a reading with is—"

"You." He didn't mince words and his tone was calm, betraying no hint that this discussion made him uncomfortable.

Kagome sighed as she rested her hands on the table. "I'm sorry, Ito, but I can't do a reading for that. Everything else aside, it would be unprofessional—"

His gaze narrowed, his expression growing more serious. He didn't seem annoyed if his yoki was anything to go by, but she didn't believe he was pleased by her refusal, either. She suspected it was something he didn't experience often. "Sesshomaru," he interrupted, his voice gentle as he corrected her. "Have you done a reading on yourself, Kagome?"

She blinked, surprised by the change in topic. "Once," she admitted, "but it was a long time ago."

"Hnn." He seemed to mull that over as if he hadn't expected that. "Then do a reading. This one will watch."

"No." She folded her arms across her chest, unwilling to budge on that point. "Listen, Ito—"

"Sesshomaru."

She ignored that. "Even _if_ I wanted to do a reading myself, I wouldn't do it while a paying customer was here. It's not just unprofessional but it's also irresponsible. If you want a reading on something else, then I'm happy to do that, but otherwise, I'm going to have to ask you to return to the main store."

She took a deep breath at the determined look on his face, sensing that he was not willing to let the matter drop. If she did any sort of reading on him, he would use it as an opportunity to maneuver her into the place she wanted and _that_ was something she could not afford. "In fact, I think it's better if you return to the store, anyway." She squared her shoulders, both to bolster her own courage and to show him that she would not be pushed around.

His lips thinned for a moment and then he inclined his head. "Very well." His glamor returned in a moment as he reached for the doorway. "But make no mistake, Kagome. This one _will_ be back."

Kagome didn't doubt it.

Later that night, after she switched her sign to closed, Kagome found herself back in her little occult room, sitting at the table as her tarot deck sat before her, as if mocking her with its presence.

_Have you done a reading on yourself, Kagome?_

She couldn't get the words out of her head. The last reading she'd done...

Had been for the man she'd later found out was cheating on her with another classmate in college. That was the first time she'd realized just _how_ accurate she could be. She hadn't dared bring herself to read her own fortune again since. It was one thing to do so for others; she'd needed the money and rarely did she tell a fortune that didn't help her clients and friends, even if it seemed rough at first.

Like Ito and Fujioka. It had been a difficult fortune, but Ito's aura and yoki and seemed more relaxed now that he and Fujioka had parted ways. Fujioka had even managed to find a partner that was more suitable.

_But I'm still the reason they broke up._ She sighed. Ito would be back; she knew he would, but allowing him to pursue her would make her feel too much like the 'other woman.' She'd always feel like she was the one who got between them by reading their fortune.

Kagome blinked, realizing she'd reached for the cards without stopping to think. _I don't have to read my own romantic fortune_, she reminded herself, shaking off her guilt. I could read something else, like my business' success.

But her hands moved for four cards, setting up the same layout Ito and Fujioka had used two months before.

She stared at the face down cards, unable to bring herself to flip them over. She was too afraid of what she might see.

And she was more afraid of what would happen if she didn't.

_Have you done a reading on yourself, Kagome? _The words seemed to taunt her as she stared down at the four cards she'd chosen.

"No," she said to herself. "I'm not doing this for him. I'm doing it for me."

Just because she'd had a vision didn't mean it was the absolute only path available to her. She'd had visions before—albeit rarely—and sometimes they changed. Even _if_ they married, it didn't necessarily follow that they'd _stay_ married or even that they would be happy.

And...she had to know. She had to know if they could. If they _would_.

If he was going to return, day in and out, to tease her with what they could have together, _she had to know_.

She reached for the first card, falling into routine as she reminded herself, "The first card represents who you are as a person, as you are now. The second card represents what you want from a relationship. The third card represents your future. And the last card represents your relationship together."

She took a deep breath and flipped over the first card, determined to act like this was any other reading. "The first card is The World," she said, eying it, "in the reverse position. You tend to focus too much on your imperfections and disappointments, rather than your triumphs, and this can lead to a stifled self-esteem. If you are not careful, you can find yourself frustrated by your inability to reach your dreams without realizing that it comes back to your own mindset. Let go of your fears and you can easily reverse this card and obtain what you are dreaming of."

She bit her lip, shivering at the accuracy of her first card, but there wasn't anything she could find fault in the reading. It was painfully accurate, especially in regards to her own self-reflection. Kagome had always been her own worst critic.

The second card she turned over was the High Priestess and she bit her lower lip. Not only was it fitting because it was _what she was_, but it also had a poignant meaning to drive home the point her fortune was trying to make. "This is the High Priestess in the upright position. When it comes to relationships, you are selfless, putting others before yourself. There is an air of virtue and honesty you bring to your relationships and you look for a partner who values the same. However, you can be too selfless, leading to being taken advantage of if you do not find the right partner."

She flipped the last card without letting herself dwell too strongly on the second. "The last card represents your future. Of course, the distant future is always subject to change, so it's really more about your short-term future than your long-term one." She tapped the third card. "This is Temperance in the upright and it represents peace and patience. As long as you work hard and remain true to your own principles, you will achieve what you are seeking. Your immediate future then be a contented one."

She hesitated as the last card sat before her, representing the future she would have with Ito Sesshomaru. On one hand, it seemed positive that her short-term future looked so bright, but as she'd seen before, what worked in the short run didn't always equate to harmony in the long term.

"The Lovers." She stared at the card, taken aback. It was one she rarely saw in the fortune of couples—even established ones. "This card represents optimism, love, and trust. It also can mean a new beginning. You may have just started this relationship or it may yet be waiting for you to seize the opportunity. If you do, a lifetime of heated passion and love awaits you, tempered by trust and commitment. If you do not, you will regret missing this opportunity for the rest of your days. Take a leap of faith and you will be rewarded."

_Seize the opportunity..._

Kagome swallowed and hastily reshuffled the deck. She would think about this later, when she was more alert. For now, the best she could do for herself was go home and go to sleep and worry about the reading in the morning.

The next morning, Ito was waiting outside Heaven's Cloud for Kagome to arrive and open the shop.

"Good morning, Ito," she greeted him in quiet resignation. "It's seven in the morning. Shouldn't you be at work?"

"This one's meeting was regrettably rescheduled," he answered in his low timbre. "The key person required for the meeting was unavoidably detained."

She had the distinct feeling that _he_ was the key person.

She opened the door and allowed him into the shop. "What brings you back here, Ito?"

He raised a brow at her as she entered the shop behind him. "This one has made himself quite clear about what he is seeking."

She swallowed, preparing herself for another drawn-out battle. "I'm not going to do a reading for you on the compatibility between us, Ito."

His lip twitched as she felt his yoki reach out to comfort her, as though it sensed her unease. "Did you do the reading for you, then?" he said, catching onto what she _hadn't_ said. "And what did you see?"

She pressed her lips together, mentally cursing herself for giving away more than she'd intended. "I don't remember," she lied, wanting to kick herself as soon as the words fell from her lips. She _never_ lied but admitting the truth to Ito had somehow terrified her into doing so.

_No_. She would _not_ compromise her own morals, not even out of guilt for what she'd done to Ito and Fujioka. "I did a reading for myself," she said more honestly, hating the pleased expression that spread across his face at her words.

He seemed to wait for something as she made her way over to the counter to get her register up and running. With technology these days, she didn't need to do much for the interface to come alive, but it also meant that she didn't have enough to distract her from Ito's presence as he followed her.

After a few moments went by, he repeated, "What did you see?"

She had the distinct feeling that he wasn't accustomed to repeating himself. "Nothing about myself that surprises me," she said with a shrug, avoiding any mention of what she'd seen about their own relationship.

"Hnn." He stared at her for another moment and then seemed to come to a conclusion of his own. "Very well. This one will leave, then."

The _I'll be back_ was implied.

She watched him turn and leave the store, taking careful note of the items stocked on her shelves as he did so, as she sagged against the counter. She didn't know if she felt relieved or tormented with the knowledge that he'd be back.

Something caught her gaze out of the corner of her eye and she turned to see a bouquet of vibrant flowers on the counter—flowers that he'd managed to keep hidden from her up until that moment. Attached to the flowers was a simple note, handwritten in bold, solid strokes: 'I wish to know everything about you, Kagome.'

It wasn't signed, but it didn't need to be. They both knew who left it, even though she had no idea how he'd managed to sneak them in without her notice.

She picked up the bouquet to smell the flowers, noticing in delight that there were two lilies amongst them—her favorites. And without even realizing it, she began to look forward to his next visit.


	3. Chapter 3

_A/N: I am easily persuaded so here you are! A final chapter to this! Enjoy._

* * *

Over the next week, Kagome found herself accepting all sorts of deliveries from her admirer, for the simple fact that she was unable to refuse them.

Whoever Ito Sesshomaru _was_, he was rich enough that no one seemed to want to risk returning the gifts if she refused them.

So, she found herself accepting a bouquet of flowers each day as well as other small gifts. Nothing was so large or grandiose that she would feel uncomfortable accepting them—under normal circumstances. Since they came from a client, however, and one whose relationship she'd indirectly caused the ruin of, she wasn't entirely comfortable accepting.

Yet she had to admit that the gifts were thoughtful. He'd ordered lunch sent to her each day as though he was somehow aware of the fact that she often skipped the meal due to work. She had no assistance with the shop unless her friends were free to help, so she didn't have the opportunity to go buy lunch and she didn't have a fridge or microwave in the small shop to bring her lunch to work.

More often than not, she scarfed down crackers or a rice ball whenever she had an empty shop to try and stave off the stomach cravings.

Ito, however, not only made sure that she had food but had evidently insisted that the delivery man not leave until she'd stopped to eat it.

Each of the bouquets he'd sent also seemed to center around one of the scents she'd made for her ship. She hadn't realized he'd been in the shop long enough to study them, but it seemed Ito was far more observant than she'd realized.

She left the flowers in her shop, feeling it was far safer to keep them there and explain she'd gotten them to brighten up the shop than risk taking them home. Not only was she afraid that Ito might misinterpret her intent if she did so, but she also felt that it would be far too tempting to let herself be romanced by the idea if she _did_ take them home.

She sighed. A week had nearly gone by and now that it was the weekend, she worried over how Ito might choose to step up his actions. If he truly worked in an office environment, he might work Saturdays, but she had the feeling that if he'd already rescheduled a meeting to see her, she could expect him to make himself known to her at some point during the day today.

"You've really brightened up the place, Kagome," Sango observed as she walked into the shop, closely followed by her husband, Miroku, who eyed the flowers with a thoughtful expression.

Kagome blanched. She could put off Sango with a few comments about her desire to brighten up the small shop, but Miroku wasn't as easily duped.

"Hmm." Miroku observed the six bouquets of flowers and their charming glass vases that had been sent with them, now carefully arranged around the shop. "I didn't realize the shop was doing well enough for you to purchase arranged flowers, Kagome."

Kagome tried to think quickly, but it was late in the morning and the caffeine she'd had that morning had already begun to wear off—along with the sugared fuel of her breakfast. "I didn't buy them," she blurted and then wanted to kick herself at the knowing look in Miroku's eye. "They're gifts to brighten up the shop."

Sango smiled at that. "I didn't realize you had an arrangement with a floral shop, Kagome. That's great news!" She clasped her hands together as she wandered around, eying each of the bouquets. "They're really well-arranged, too. It says a lot about your brand that you'd be able to get a professional to do this for you, Kagome!"

Miroku kept his gaze firmly trained on Kagome. "Indeed." He nodded sagely. "I did not realize you had an admirer, Kagome. All of these bouquets are quite poignant in their meaning in the language of love."

Kagome flushed and that gave her away as both Sango and Miroku rounded on her.

"No!" Sango immediately rushed forward to shake Kagome. "You kept _that_ from me? I want to see the notes right _now_, Kagome. All of them."

As Sango began rummaging through the drawers behind the counter—and as Kagome cursed herself for her own lack of ingenuity in hiding the cards that had accompanied the flowers; cards that she hadn't been able to convince herself to toss out just yet—Miroku studied her.

"You have received more than the cards and flowers." Miroku raised a brow as if daring her to argue.

Kagome swallowed but couldn't force the lie to leave her lips. "Yes," she admitted quietly, just as Sango shouted, "Ah ha!"

Sango rounded the counter, her hand full of the cards. "I found them!" She waved the cards for Kagome and Miroku to see and then opened one to read it. "'I want to know everything about you, Kagome.'" She put that card on the counter and read another as Kagome blushed harder. "'I wish to share my world with you.'" She put a second card on the counter. "'The moment I felt your power, I knew you were special, Kagome.' Just who is Ito Sesshomaru, Kagome?"

As Sango put a third card on the counter, the man in question walked into the shop, a quiet chime announcing his arrival as the door swung open.

"Hello, Kagome," he said, his voice a low purr that rumbled through her, and Kagome pretended that she didn't see the lily bouquet in his hands.

She swallowed as both Miroku and Sango jumped to the same conclusion. "You're Ito Sesshomaru!" Sango accused, pointing her finger at him.

"Hnn," the daiyokai confirmed with a small, regal nod of his head.

"Ito Sesshomaru?" Miroku said the name and then paused. "The hotel magnate?"

The daiyokai nodded again, wordlessly confirming his identity.

Sango and Miroku exchanged a look then, likely due to their own occupations. While Kagome's whole world generally revolved around her little shop, both Miroku and Sango were fairly well connected. Miroku was a well-known psychiatrist that catered to the rich and powerful and Sango was one of the few women in an upper management position at her hotel...

Kagome's eyes widened. Sango worked for a hotel owned by a hotel magnate—could that be _Ito_ himself?

"I thought you were dating a fashion model," Sango blurted as her husband nudged her with his elbow.

Miroku held out his hands in a peacekeeping gesture as though he suspected that Ito wouldn't enjoy the prying into his personal life—_especially_ from one of his own employees. "We apologize, Ito," he said calmly, with a silencing look at his wife, who had opened her mouth again. "We were just caught by surprise. We care deeply for our friend and merely wished to ensure that she would not be drawn into a difficult situation."

Ito seemed to consider that and then nodded again, slowly. "You work for this one," he observed, his eyes shifting to Sango as he confirmed Kagome's suspicions.

"I do." Sango licked her lips and opened her mouth to say something else and then seemed to think better of it. After a moment, she added, "Kagome was actually the one who referred me."

Kagome tried not to fidget as Ito's intense gaze shifted back to her. "I worked for one of your hotels in college," she admitted, sensing the question he'd been about to ask. "During the summers, I mean. I worked part-time in housekeeping and then spent the rest of the time helping out at my family's shrine. When Sango graduated with her degree in hospitality, I suggested that she applied and she did."

The job had paid well—well enough that she'd been able to save some money to help open the very shop Kagome stood in while also managing her college expenses, and the schedule had been extremely flexible.

"Hnn." Ito seemed satisfied with her answer because he didn't press her further. "This one is pleased to see his flowers decorate your shop, Kagome." The words were spoken with such possessive intent that Kagome flushed and then felt heat rush through her.

She licked her dry lips, determined to resolve the misunderstanding between them about his intent before her friends became too invested in what would never be. "I appreciate the flowers, Ito," she said, striving for a gentle tone as his golden gaze met hers. Now that she knew who he was and what truly he looked like, it seemed that her reiki would allow her to see beneath his glamor without conscious effort on her part. "But as I said before, I can't accept this—"

"You will," he assured her, the promise leaden in his tone.

She sighed heavily. "Ito—"

"Kagome, Sango and I just remembered that we're meeting her parents for lunch," Miroku said, giving her a little wave from the doorway. "We'll stop by later to help."

She blinked; she hadn't even realized her friends had moved. _The traitors._

Miroku winked and then ushered his wife out of the store, leaving Kagome alone with Ito.

"You accepted the flowers," Ito reminded her.

She turned back to the daiyokai before her. "I didn't have a choice—"

"You accepted the lunches as well."

"Ito—"

"And you accepted the other gifts sent to you."

She thought of the stepladder he'd sent so she could stock her shelves more easily and the new purse to replace her own that had been falling apart and sighed again, wondering when she'd become so dependent on sighs to express herself. "Ito," she tried again, relieved when he didn't interrupt her this time. "I'm flattered. I really am. You are obviously quite the catch. But I can't date a client, especially one who came with his girlfriend before—"

"She is pleased with how things turned out." Ito's tone dropped lower as he added, "As are you. You did not believe Kagura and I were suited."

Kagome opened her mouth and then closed it, unable to deny that.

"And you saw a vision," he pressed as she stared at him in astonishment.

_How had he known?_

"This one saw it, too." He stepped closer, moving just out of reach. If she took a single step forward, she could touch him and the thought tempted her more than it ever should have. "Do you have any idea what it is like to have your every desire, your every _need_, shown to you, presented to you, offered up to you, and then have someone try and pull it from you?"

She opened her mouth again but nothing came out. _His every desire?_

He closed the gap between them, moving to place two fingers under her chin so he could tilt her head back to more fully look into his eyes. "It is cruel," he rasped. "It is the worst form of torture, Kagome. Every time you deny what could exist between us, it carries a sharper bite than the sharpest sword I own. _Do you understand? _I desire you, Kagome. I desire you because of who you are, because of what we could have, and because I know with every fiber of my being—as _you_do—that what we could have together would bring the greatest joy."

"Ito—" She was momentarily surprised at the huskiness of her own voice. She cleared her throat and tried again. "Ito, I can't—it's not ethical—"

"Kagura has found her own happiness," he reminded her, making no other move to touch her though her body longed to feel the warm of him against her. "Why are you so determined to ignore your own? Tell me what you desire, Kagome. I will find a way to give it to you."

Never had a man offered her so much and yet she readied herself to deny him once again. As she opened her mouth to form the denial, he let the last of his walls down, showing her the stark desire that burned within him.

She gasped and suddenly, as his free hand moved to run through her hair, she found the shop and daiyokai before her faded away.

_"Mom!"_

_Kagome turned and smiled as she saw her son approach her, his silvery hair escaping the tie at the back of his neck. Here in their home, he didn't need to hide who he was anymore than his father. _

_"Dad's almost done with dinner, right? I'm starving!" He put his hands on his stomach for dramatic effect before turning to groan as his sister caught up. "You're so slow, Yuri!"_

_Yuri playfully smacked her younger brother. "And you're so loud, Daichi. The neighbors can hear you down the street. You're going to wake the baby." She rolled her eyes with the dramatic flair only a preteen could pull off and Kagome once again reflected on the conversation she'd had with Sesshomaru several weeks back about which of their twins would be the bigger headache as a teen. Yuri had her father's cunning but Daisuke was far more vocal._

_And both were as beloved as the baby in her arms, their newborn Haruto._

_Kagome chuckled. "Your father needs help setting the table."_

_Daisuke immediately grinned as he challenged his sister, "Last one there is a rotten mushroom!"_

_And just like that, the twins were off, followed by their quieter brother, Kenji, who unlike the twins, was six and far more observant than his older siblings. Like his father, Kenji preferred to take everything in before deciding his course of action but once his mind was made up, he rarely could be deterred._

_As the children raced in the house, Sesshomaru looked out the bay kitchen windows and met her gaze, offering up a quiet, loving smile._

_This, she knew, was love._

"Kagome?"

Kagome blinked as Ito appeared before her once more, a stunned expression on his face. "You saw it, too," she breathed as she noted he wore the same smile as her vision for just a moment before he looked at her in astonishment.

He didn't say a word as he pulled her into a fierce hug. "Do not say no," he pleaded, his voice low and urgent. "Do not take this from me, Kagome. _Please_. Say you will be amendable to my suit."

Her heart broke at the plea and the desperation she heard behind it and she heard herself give her agreement without stopping to think about why she had been so adamant on her refusal just moments before. "Yes, Sesshomaru."

She didn't know if it was her acceptance or the fact that it was the first time that she'd uttered his first name, but Ito suddenly crushed her to him, holding her in a fierce hug for several moments before he allowed her just enough freedom to kiss her.

It wasn't love, not yet, but she knew in her heart that it would be.


End file.
